Wolves and Whales: Two different species, but similar motives.

Above is a video talking about how wolves have changed the environment overtime. They contribute a lot to the environment because even though they can take away many animals lives, they can also give life to various other species (plants or animals). This is one of the most interesting videos (along with the video of the Spirit Bear in my last post) that i have ever watched before. It's amazing what animals can do without even trying. 

This video is similar to the video of the wolves, but explains how whales change the ocean. People in Japan said that, before scientists discovered that whales help the ocean's ecosystem, it was good for people to to kill whales because it may increase the number of fish available for human consumption. However, finding out that whales are a vital part of the survival of the ocean's ecosystems, whale poaching has decreased rapidly. 

The Spirit Bear; legend or reality?

Have you ever read the book Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen? If not here's a brief overview. It's about a young boy, Cole Matthews, who severely beats another boy, and is faced with a decision. Cole can either spend a long time in jail, or he can spend a year in a remote area in Alaska. He chooses to go to Alaska, and while he is there he gets mauled by a bear known as the Spirit Bear. He learns many new things about life, honesty, trust, and love, all with this one bears help. Now, why am I telling you this? Because the Spirit Bear is an actual, living bear. It's actual name is the Kermode Bear, and lives in the rain forest on the coast of British Columbia. It's called the Spirit Bear due to its rare gene that changes a black bear into a pure white bear. These bears are extremely rare, so much so that in the article What is a spirit bear? says that possibly only 100 are known to exist. In a video from National Geographic (above) Paul Nicklen, a photographer for National Geographic, talks about his experience with the Spirit (Kermode) Bear, and how amazing it was to interact with these very rare, but wonderful creatures. These animals are beautiful and should be protected at all costs. That's what Nicklen is trying to show every body. Something so rare, and so magical, should be protected from harm. I have also included a video from Spirit Bear Lodge . It talks about a Native American culture that has protected this species for many, many years. It also talks about the Kitasoo/Xai'xais peoples legend of the Spirit Bear. 

And the Hawksbill Sea Turtle Wins the Race!

The video above is about the Hawksbill Sea Turtle(Eretmochelys imbricate) in Nicaragua. The narrator, Caleb McClennen, talks about how the WCS (Wildlife Conservation Society)  started a project known as the Hawksbill Conservation Project in 2000. In the article With Local Help, hawksbill sea turtles make comeback in Nicaragua (Shayna Wilson), it explains how the WCS has helped reduce the number of nest poachers by almost 80%. This means that the sea turtles, and their nests, are increasing each year. This is an amazing advancement because not to long ago the Hawksbill sea turtle was on IUCN Red List of Endangered Species as a reptile with one of the highest level threats. The WCS has helped these animals in so many ways, and their efforts will be what helps these animals in the long run.

 Little baby Hawksbill Sea Turtle

Adult Hawksbill Sea Turtle